Mike to the Rescue:

Mike had been in the city for a month. He slept everywhere and anywhere as he tried to recover and scrap for food. Seattle had an ugly homeless scene. People slept in the alleys of skyscrapers with views from thousands of windows. Bums slept in parks like it was their home. There was a rescue mission. However, the lines began early and a crusty bed was not a guarantee.

Seattle had a lot of coffee shops and Mike liked hanging out at them. They were great places to escape during rain falls. Most managers were laid back and let him sleep when he was exhausted. The small business also smelled lovely from the assortment of coffee roasts. Sometimes he got a coffee or a croissant. One Coffee place near the train station had a mini library. Amongst the small selection of donated books, Mike found himself reading Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden.”

Mike also liked to hang around the Pike Market. The stores near the waterfront were interconnected. Food venders passed out samples. The trashcans were always full. Live music filled the air. There were locals and tourists everywhere, making it a little easier to collect a few dollars for a meal. At night all the freaks came out. One usual walked around with his six-foot yellow python around his shoulders like he was the biggest badass in the world; or was he just a circus clown? One lady was known for having fifteen piercings on her face: cheeks, eyebrows, lips, and nose. The tall Seattle Ferris Wheel changed colors as it circulated and lit up the harbor and the adjacent Seattle Aquarium. The Seattle Space Needle stood out amongst all architecture for its elegance